Process for the manufacture of stockings



y 7', 1929 R. GRAEBER 1,712,344

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS Filed FebQ20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In V621 cor:

y 7, 9- R. GRAEBER 1,112,344

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I22 vezza r.-

atented May 7, 1929.v

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I RUDOLPH GRAECBER, OF CHEMNITZ, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SCHUBERT & SALZER MASCHINENFAIBRIK AKTIENGESELLSGHAF'I', 0F CHEMNITZ, GERMANY, A FIRM.

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS.

Application filed February 20, 1926, Serial No. 89,798, and in Germany March 6, 1925.

This invention concerns an improved method for the manufacture of stockings in a single cycle of operations on a flat knitting machine.

According to the present'invention, in a method of knitting stockings wherein heel ortions are made simultaneously with a toot portion, connecting them by increasing the number of loops when the leg portion has been completed,=the number of loops is increased in accordance with the length of the heel to be made and the desired shape of heel is obtained simply by narrowing. The number of needles carrying loops is progres'sivel there reduced by narrowing the succeeding rows of loops, thus shaping the heel portion.

The nature of the intermittent operations of shifting the loops inwardly and of transilerring the loops by narrowing depend upon the form of heel to be manufactured.

Connecting rows, slack courses or the like, having'the' length of the heel,'are preferably provided at the commencement of the sinker row on the increased number of needles; these need not be connected with the main knitting but merely provide for a better looping, setting on or the like.

' Examples of stockings produced according to the method of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the completed parts of a stocking after finishing the heel, the heel portions 6 and 7 being separated from the central foot portion 8;

Figure 2 schematically shows the process of manufacturing stockings according to the present invention; it is supposed that the knitting has reached the lines 00- 1 and the portions 6 and 7 are joined to the portions 8 along the lines a-a and 71-6 v,

Figure 3 illustrates the finished heel as it appears when still in the knitting machine; v Figure 4 shows the same after being removed from the machine; I Figure 5 is a modified execution shown as in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is the same modified execution corresponding to Figure 3, that is, the stockmg still being in the machine;

. Figure 7 illustrates a further modification, viewed as in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a similar representation of the still further modification of the stocking;

Figure 9 represents the latter modification of the stocking as it appears when still in the machine;

Figure 10' shows a partly finished modified heel portion;

Figure 11 is a finished stocking manufactured according to the method described with reference to the Figures 1 to 3, and

Figure 12 is a finished'stocking manufactured in accordance with the example explained with reference to Figure 8.

A stockin such as that illustrated in Fig. 1 is produce according to the present invention, in the following manner.

When the leg 1 of width I is finished up to the row of loops indicated in Fig. 1, by a thick line the loops are sunk in the width II. In this method 'it does not matter -whether the additional widths 23 and 45 and the width I are each knitted by a thread guide or whether one or both additional widths are knitted together with the width I by a single threaded guide. The length of each of the additional rows of loops 23 and 4-5 corresponds to the required length of the heel portion. From the points a and b the middle part 8 is narrowed towards the points 0 and d. The

rows of loops a,-0 and b-d are then connected to the rows of loops arr-e and b--f respectively and the connections correspond to g-h and 11-40 (in Fig. 4). If from the commencement. of the additional widths, separatethread guides are used in these widths, the loops from a,-c and we or b--d and 6- are connected by a split-connection or the like. If the work is continued with a thread guide which simply passes from the width I to the width II (Fig. 1) narrowing is efi'ected only over the distances ae-c and bd by an inwardly directed loop transfer. According to Fig. 2 the knitting is continued up to the line wy. Up to the point a the rows of loops ac-c and a-e' and up to the point 6' the rows of loops b-d and bf are connected together; on account of the narrowin of the middle portion 8 the two heel -port1ons 6 and 7 hang in the machine in the form of 'a bag (Fig. 3).

During the narrowing operation the width of the pieces 6 and 7 is transferred inwardly, thereby working their meshes into the meshes of the piece 8.

Figure 5 shows that according to this improved method the rows of loops 'of'the heel portions 6 and 7 extend at right angles to the rows of loops of the leg portion 1 and of the adjoining foot portion 8. This has the advantage that a ladder in the leg portion is prevented from running beyond the heel p'ortion whereas in stockings made according to known methods a ladder in the leg portion may extend to the heel portion.

The narrowing from a and bor w and b is effected to the extent of one'or more loops in each row or with interruptions according to the desired form of heel to be made. The part g-.h (Fig. 11) ma accordingly be made more or less incline In the example illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 longitudinal running-on rows or the like 9 and 10 are knitted at the commencement of the two heel portions 6 and 7. These may, as in the example shown in Fig. 5, be-

connected to the portionl or may be made without this connection. This figure shows,

moreover, heel portions having narrowing rows 11 and 12 which are arranged either (Elite close to the edge or some distance t erefrom. When narrowing from a c and bd, one or more loops of the heel portions (Sand 7 must temporarily be excluded from the narrowing.

To obtain an ankle similar to the known types. instead of the pointed heel shown in Fig. 11 a portion 13 of the foot part8 adjoining the leg 1 is strengthened. The

i guides for the reinforcing threads commence rom the points m and m, Fig. 7 respectively which lie upon the same wales-as the points a and d respectively to which the heel -settin -on narrowing is carried out. The finished heel portion as produced according to the present invention is shown in Fi 12. 1

In order to obtain the bee cap required for a pocket heel the rows of loops at the outer edge of the heel portions are offset as shown .at 11 in Figs. 8 and 9, in which case loop-connecting rows,frunning-on rows, rows or the like also may be provi ed. p If, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 10

some loops are omitted as indicated. at 12 and the holes formed thereby are subsequently connected by loolpin orthe like, a ocket heel with" an inc med seam .will be ormed.-

- The characteristic feature common to all the modifications resides in the arrange-' pendent u bein effected in the ment of the loops of the heel portions relatively to the loo sof the leg portion. This arrangement di ers from that exhibited by stockings made according to known methods in a single cycle of operation. The oblique shape. of the heel is not obtained by narrowing the heel portions but by narrowing the center foot portion arranged between the heel portions and connecting the latter.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

l. The herein described method of manufacturing stockings on a flat knitting" machine wherein heel portions are made simultaneously with the foot portion, consisting of connecting the heel portions to the foot portion by increasing the number of loops when the leg portion has been completed, increasing the number of loops for the heel portions in accordance with the length of a heel to be made, and while so producing the heel, shaping of the same by narrowing inwardly, thereby decreasing the number of meshes in the heel portions and working the latter into-the meshes of the foot portion.

2. The herein described method of manufacturing stockings on fiat knitting machine,

wherein heel portions are made simultane-v of loops for a certain number of rows, de- 0n the width of the heel to be ob.-

tained, an shaping the heel portions by narrowing inwardly, thereby decreasing the number of meshes in the. heel portions and working the latter into the meshes of the foot ortion. a

3. he hereinldescribed method of manufacturing stockings on flat knitting machine wherein heel portions are made simultaneously with the foot "portion, consisting in connecting the heel portions to the foot portion by increasing the number of 100 when the leg portion has been completed, mcreasing the number of loops for the heel portions in accordance with the size of the heel to be made, and while so producing the heel shaping the same by narrowing inwardly, thereby decreasing the number of meshes in the heel portions and working the latter into the meshes of the foot portion, the narrow outer rows of loops dl the eel portions. 4

4. The herein describedmethod of manufacturing stockings wherein heel portions are made simultaneously with the foot oor tions, consisting inconnecting the heel portion to the foot portion by increasing the number of loops when the leg portion has been completed, increasing the number of loops for the heel portions in accordance 5 with the size of the heel to he made, leaving out several loops at the outer edge of the heel portions, closing the openings resulting therefrom to form a. heel cap required for a pocket heel, 2nd shaping the heel by narrowing inwardly thereby decreasing the number 10 of meshes in the heel portion and Working the; latter into the meshes of the foot portion; In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

iennoLPH GRAEBER. 

